1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of managing time, at which maintenance in a gas compressor multiple system incorporating therein a plurality of gas compressors should be carried out.
2. Description of Related Art
Time, at which maintenance in a gas compressor multiple system should be carried out, that is, time, during which operation is possible until maintenance is carried out, is conventionally managed on the basis of an operating time of the gas compressor multiple system. However, such method of management involves such unreasonableness that specifically in the case where a plurality of gas compressors incorporated in a gas compressor multiple system are low in load factor, a difference between an operating time of each gas compressor and an operating time of the gas compressor multiple system becomes large and maintenance is carried out although an operating time of each gas compressor has not yet reached one, for which maintenance should be essentially carried out.
Therefore, maintenance is increased in number of times as compared with that number of times, which is essentially necessary, and operation and stoppage of gas compressors for maintenance are also increased in number of times, so that there is a fear that a utilization plan of a compressed air on a side of a user is hindered.
Further, large ranges are in some cases caused among gas compressors with respect to a difference between an operating time, in which actual maintenance is carried out in each gas compressor, and an operating time, in which maintenance should be essentially carried out.
In addition, no known document is found to describe management of time, at which maintenance of a gas compressor multiple system should be carried out, in view of load factors of a plurality of gas compressors incorporated in the system.